Kintsukuroi
by Miah-Chan
Summary: Trouble in the Grass Country requires the aid of Naruto & Sakura; teamed as a duo, they embark on a mission that quickly rises to an A-Rank. Here, they will fight not only for the safety of the Grass, but also for their own steadily-growing feelings for one another; and Sakura will discover a new side to Naruto, never before witnessed. Slight AU; NaruSaku; Dark NaruSaku; WIP!
1. Chapter 1

Hello lovelies! :) I'm _finally_ giving in (perhaps against my better judgement...) and presenting you lovely people with the first chapter of my new **NaruSaku** fic! (Yes, the one I've been hinting at for at least two months, but had yet to provide.)

**A note of forewarning, I'm not sure yet how often I'll be updating new Chapters; typically I try to update relatively often and regularly, since I know how it feels to have to wait on an uncompleted fic, however since I've yet to actually _finish _this fic, I don't want to get ahead of myself and find that you've caught up to me and have to put this fic on a hiatus. I know that's what happened to my last SasuSaku fic and I hate that I'm still leaving readers of "I Just Can't Live A Lie" hanging. . As of the moment, I have ideas brewing for where I want this fic to go; it's simply finding the time (and inspiration) between college and homework to work on it.**

Also, **another quick note**: the title of this fic, as you can see, is currently "Kintsukuroi". I bring this up because the title _may_ be subject to change...I hadn't thought in depth about what I wanted to call this fic (plus I'm horrid with titles) but in order to submit it here, it needed a name. As the story progresses, I may consider re-titling it based on wherever the plot takes us.  
Also, if you're curious, _Kintsukuroi _is Japanese; it means "_"to repair with gold"; the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken"_. Hopefully that's a bit of foreshadowing as to where this fic may take us... ;)  
Oh, and **one more thing:** I'm going to begin this fic as **Rated T**, _however,_ it will _very_ likely be changed to **Rated M** once the story progresses into much later chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I do _not _own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)

Well, without further ado, I present to you:  
**Kintsukuroi**_  
_

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**Chapter One**

"Baka! You're supposed to _avoid_ the attack!"

"Ne, Sakura-chan?! Really?!"

Haruno Sakura smirked at the sarcasm dripping from Uzumaki Naruto's words as he pulled himself from the newly formed crater on Training Area 3's landscape. His blonde hair was dusty from the debris that still lingered in the air around him, cerulean eyes blinking rapidly to remove the offensive particles in order to watch for Sakura's next attack. He grunted, finally removing himself fully from the crater before turning to sit at the edge of it, legs dangling. Blowing out a breath of relief, he opened his eyes to give his pink-haired kunoichi teammate an amused grin, leaning back on his hands to show his relaxedness. Sakura's smirk deepened.

"You really shouldn't be so at ease; we're still fighting you know." she murmured in his ear from behind. From her position she could witness his grin slowly grow broader and he chuckled lowly. Glancing at her from over his shoulder, his eyes twinkled merrily as he disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Grinning, Sakura jumped away from the crater, holding a defensive position as she waited for a sign of the blonde's upcoming attack, jade eyes quickly assessing the grounds.

For a few moments, the grounds were silent but for Sakura's steady breathing as she focused on locating her sparring partner. She and Naruto had agreed some time ago to spar with one another on a regular basis in order to keep themselves in shape as well as to help and encourage each other with their fighting style and skills. Every now and then, when he was home from missions, they convinced Hatake Kakashi to train with them, especially since he held the Sharingan that would only help them in the long run.

Closing her eyes, Sakura focused on her chakra, mentally measuring the amount she had left as well as the tendrils that stretched out in various locations throughout the crater she had previously created. Knowing she had watched Naruto fall into the depths, she guessed he was likely still down there, plotting some scheme in order to surprise-attack her. Her lips turned upward in a smirk as she mentally followed the line of one of her chakra tendrils that overlapped with a small excess amount of Naruto's. Following the trail, she outlined the direction in her head, trying to find out where it would end and where she could then find Naruto hiding.

_'Ah-ha! There you are—!'_ Her eyes opened with a snap and she quickly jumped into the air, focusing chakra into her feet to give her a push, seconds before Naruto's fist punctured the earth where she had previously stood. Sakura's eyes widened at the blatant attack, though she guessed it wasn't necessarily surprising; after all, the knucklehead was known for his headfirst style of fighting.

"Gotcha, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned, grabbing hold of her ankle. Sakura cursed, kicking her free foot down onto his wrist before remembering the amount of chakra she still had flowing from her jump. She quickly dissipated the chakra, though her foot still connected harshly with his wrist, bone cracking under the force. Naruto gasped, releasing her out of reaction and the two allowed themselves to fall back to the ground, standing only a few feet from one another.

"Damn, Naruto, _gomen nasai_!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing to check on him. Naruto laughed lightly, and waved her apology away before cradling his wrist.

"No big deal, Sakura-chan. You know I've endured worse than this!" he teased as she gently took his injured arm in her hands.

Sakura shrugged and replied, "Maybe so, but—."

Naruto leaned in close, grinning at her before interrupting, "It was pure reaction; don't sweat it! We _are_ training, after all. At least your reflex defenses are good!"

Sakura stared at him a moment, his face so incredibly close to hers she could make out the fine details of his whiskered cheeks and golden eyelashes. Her gaze flitted downward to his mouth, stretched wide in a classic Naruto grin as he waited for her to relinquish her guilt. Quickly she brought her gaze back up to his eyes, currently closed in amusement. Her stomach flip-flopped and suddenly she was grateful he hadn't noticed her quick assessment of him. Putting on a small smile, she simply replied, "Let me heal it for you, at least."

Naruto began to protest, telling her it was an unnecessary waste of chakra on her part since the Kyuubi would repair the damage anyway. Sakura shushed him as she forced him to sit against one of the few trees untouched by their latest sparring match, kneeling before him as she gathered healing medical chakra into her hand to begin treating the fractured bone.

Naruto watched her as she worked, her jade eyes focused on the task at hand, slightly glowing with the reflection of her chakra. Her medical chakra matched her eyes exactly, he mused thoughtfully, taking the time to study her features more closely. Her pink hair, currently pulled back into a low ponytail, had grown out more than she usually allowed it to, reaching the tops of her shoulder-blades rather than its usual length of right above her shoulders. Her bangs hung flirtatiously around her eyes and cheekbones, caressing her porcelain skin whenever the wind breathed. Her normally full lips were pursed in concentration now, teeth kneading her bottom lip habitually. Swallowing hard, Naruto lifted his gaze to safer areas and studied the clouds instead. He forced his gaze to stay there until she finished her task.

"There we go. Good as new!" she smiled, releasing his hand and placing hers on her lap. Naruto gave her a grin, though it wasn't quite as heartfelt as the others; of course, he was used to practicing it, so Sakura couldn't really tell. She gave a sound of satisfaction and stood, stretching out any kinks in her muscles.

"I guess that ends our session for today, neh?" she looked at him expectantly. Naruto laughed a bit and nodded, getting to his feet and mimicking her actions. Lowering his arms he held out a hand to her and they linked their pointer and middle fingers, creating the symbol of harmony and signifying the end to their match. Their hands lingered a bit longer than necessary, though due to whom neither of them wanted to think about.

"So," Naruto began as they released one another and began walking back to town, "want to grab a bite to eat? We've been at it since lunch." He glanced down at Sakura, a good head or so taller than her now.

Her eyes remained focused ahead of them, though she answered with a sigh, "I would, but I have a ton of paperwork I need to finish at the office tonight. Maybe next time." Naruto grunted softly in response and they continued their walk in comfortable silence, parting to go their separate ways with a wave and light, "Good-night."

Sakura closed herself in her office at the hospital for the next few hours, dutifully going over paperwork and signing release forms for patients able to return home or to the field. It remained quiet throughout the building, as night shifts were usually calm, thus enabling her to concentrate better on her work; day shifts were always more erratic, with nurses calling her in at random to check on patients or help with some other hospital duties. She worked late into the night, knowing she ought to go home and get some rest, as well as food, but was unable to pull herself away from the stacks of paper that only ever seemed to grow. Chewing her bottom lip in concentration, she didn't even look up when a knock sounded on the door.

Only after the third knock did Sakura notice, sparing a glance at her desk clock: 12:17 A.M. Damn. Who the hell would be visiting her at this hour?

"Come in," she answered shortly, diving back into her paperwork. The door opened and shut quietly before the mouthwatering aroma of food drifted through the air and to Sakura's nose. Breathing in deeply, she sighed but looked up again in surprise to find Naruto's grinning face only a short few feet from her desk, a carryout bag clutched in one of his hands while the other rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Naruto?" she murmured in surprise. Her gaze flitted towards the carryout bag in his hand before quickly coming back to meet his gaze. One pink brow lifted in question and the blonde ninja quickly stepped forward, plopping the bag down on her desk, luckily missing any of her paperwork.

"I figured you must be starving since you haven't had any dinner, so I brought you something from the barbeque shop since you're not as big a fan of Itchiraku's as I am." he explained, now resting both arms behind his head and smiling. Sakura's brows lifted in surprise, peering at the bag curiously.

"You didn't have to do that. I was just about to head home. Besides, I had a snack earlier..." she trailed off as her stomach rumbled loudly at the lie. Sakura felt her cheeks heat and refused to look at Naruto's smug expression, frowning instead at her cranky stomach. Naruto chuckled as he turned towards the door, waving a hand over his shoulder.

"You're welcome, Sakura-chan. Make sure you get some rest." He was out the door before he even finished his sentence. Slightly shocked, Sakura waited a few beats before ripping into the carryout bag to find out what kinds of goodies were emitting such delicious aromas. She breathed in deeply, savoring the smell of barbequed pork before preparing to dig into the much needed meal. Only once she was nearly finished and settling back into her chair with a contented sigh did she question how Naruto had known her usual order from the barbeque shop, as well as exactly where to find her at such a time of night.

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Thanks for reading! **R&R** is always appreciated and loved! :D

~Miah-Chan


	2. Chapter 2

It appears that Chapter 2 has arrived sooner than I expected. ^^

Thanks to everyone who decided to read, follow and/or review! You're all awesome!

**Disclaimer:** I do _not _own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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**Chapter Two**

"Haruno-san, Haruno-san!" called a frantic voice, seemingly far off. Sakura groaned and lifted her head from her office desk, having once again fallen asleep after another of her late night paperwork sessions. Rubbing her face to get the blood flowing, as well as succeeding in wiping away some smudged ink, Sakura attempted to focus blurry eyes on the subject before her. The nurse was fidgeting, obviously upset and anxious, shifting from foot to foot and wringing her hands as she waited for her superior to awaken enough to take in her next words.

"Yes, what is it?" Sakura sighed, pushing herself from the desk and stretching, smiling in satisfaction at the various pops resounding from her cramped muscles. As she lowered her arms, the nurse stated hurriedly, "We have a Genin squad of patients being emitted as we speak; there was a horrible accident and two are in critical condition."

Sakura's eyes widened briefly before she sprang into action, hurrying around her desk and grabbing her lab jacket as she inquired, "What sort of accident?" The two left the office in a rush as the nurse explained what she knew, as well as where each of the Genin were being treated and the extent of their injuries. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she listened to the seriousness of the situation before she barked out orders for the nurse to follow, she herself hurrying down towards ICU to do what she could for the most critical patient.

XxXxXxX

"I'm here to report, Granny."

Tsunade snorted softly and waved her hand at Naruto for him to continue. He handed her his paperwork detailing his most recent mission while quickly going over the events that had taken place. All in all, he described a successful mission and once he was finished, Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, I'm glad it was a relatively quick and easy mission for you." She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms under her bosom and letting out a deep sigh. Naruto raised a brow at the woman and waited, knowing she was likely about to give him a new mission. He'd been gone for a few days now, the majority of his mission consisting of excessive traveling. He was itching to get home, shower, eat some Itchiraku's ramen, and then go back home to sleep.

"I have a...new mission, of sorts, for you." Tsunade finally told him, her eyes adverted from his as she pretended to gaze out the window over the village. Naruto's brows shot up in surprise at her tone; she seemed tired, exhausted really. Her eyes were sad, which was likely why she didn't want to look at him directly. Naruto's own blue eyes narrowed; what would this new mission entail?

"A new mission? Already?" he asked in a whiney voice, just to attempt to bring Tsunade back to her old self. Her gaze flickered to his, amusement evident. She knew as well as he that he rarely complained about having missions back to back, especially if they were potentially difficult. Unable to help himself, Naruto grinned, pleased to see the sadness drain from her gaze, if only briefly.

"Yes, and it could be rather difficult in its own way." Tsunade continued, placing her elbows on her desk, her chin on her hands, as she watched him. "Really, I suppose it's more of a favor..." She trailed off, frowning and rubbing a hand over her eyes in agitation.

Naruto's grin faded, a frown replacing it as he stepped forward cautiously and asked, "Granny? What's wrong?"

"While you were gone, there was an accident during one of the Genin squad's Chunin Exam testing. Sakura was the head physician at the hospital and had to rush to tend to the emergency. All three Genin were injured, though only two were in critical condition," Tsunade glanced back up to him, her eyes meeting his, though this time they refused to sway.

"She lost one of the children, Naruto."

XxXxXxX

_'I can't believe Sakura-chan has been holing herself up in her apartment all this time,'_ Naruto thought in concern as he stepped up to Sakura's door, knocking. No answer met his request at entrance, so he knocked again, a bit louder, just to be polite. He figured she wouldn't answer, however; Tsunade had said she refused to speak with anyone and became violent if they pressed too hard, having literally thrown some of her friends out of her home when they came to check on her.

_"I've sent some of her closest colleagues and friends to check on her, but she either won't answer the door or kicks them out. I haven't had time to check on her myself yet, but I knew you were coming home soon so I thought maybe you could talk some sense into her. I've had Shizune take over Sakura's role at the hospital, but she'll be needed back soon. Do what you can to straighten her out; if you fail, I'll have to make a personal visit."_

Naruto grimaced as he recalled Tsunade's words, disliking the ideas that came to mind at how her 'personal visit' to Sakura could play out. Their lady-Hokage wasn't exactly known for her patience. Deciding it was time to check on his teammate, he turned the doorknob, sending a bit of chakra into the lock when it refused to open. Once having successfully broken in, he stepped through the threshold and into darkness.

"Sakura-chan?" he called quietly, blindly feeling the wall for a light-switch. Finding none, he waited until his vision adjusted before walking forward, searching for the pink-haired kunoichi. He called out for her again, reaching the middle of the living room and glancing around him in order to familiarize himself as best he could in the dark, listening intently for any sign of Sakura's response. Silence continued to greet him.

"Sakura-chan, it's me, Naruto..." he trailed off, feeling stupid for announcing who he was. Obviously she would know his voice...

Something shifted in a room to his right and he turned, approaching a dark doorway, cautiously peeking around the entrance to investigate its belongings. The curtains had been drawn tightly across the window that occupied the opposite wall, blocking any light that might have managed to sneak its way inside. Naruto squinted but was finally forced to admit he was unable to see anything in the deep darkness. The sun had set not long after he'd visited the Hokage Tower, so even had the curtains been open, there would have been little light to see by.

Stepping quietly and quickly into the room, he hurried over to the curtains and pulled them apart, allowing moonlight to fill the room with its silvery rays. Satisfied, Naruto turned to survey the room, realizing it was Sakura's bedroom; said female was laying in a fetal position under a pile of blankets on her bed.

Naruto grimaced at how sickly she looked; her skin was pale, made more prominently so by the moonlight and the dark circles under her eyes. Her usually shiny, trademark pink hair was lank from sweat and lack of washings. He spotted a multitude of sake bottles littered across her floor and bedside table. Sighing, he approached her bedside, the bed dipping inward as he sat beside her still form. Gulping a bit, he reached out and shook her shoulder to wake her.

"Sakura-chan, you need to get up." No response. Naruto shook her again, a little more forcefully. Sakura groaned and rolled over onto her back, bleary eyes cracking open to find out who was disturbing her. Naruto gave her a small, hesitant smile and said softly, "Hey, Sakura-chan."

"Naruto...?" she squinted at him a moment before frowning, anger and anguish overcoming her features. She pushed his hand away from her and turned back onto her side, facing away from him. "Go away," she mumbled, burying her face into her pillow.

"Sorry, no can do. Granny Tsunade sent me to check on you." His blue eyes studied her sadly. He'd never seen Sakura like this and it didn't settle well with him. Determined, he grabbed the blankets and yanked them off of her. Her body convulsed with the sudden change of temperature and a low growl emitted from her throat. Muscles tense, Naruto waited for her to attempt to kick him out.

"Leave me alone," she growled, groping blindly for her blankets. Naruto tossed them to the end of the bed so that they drooped over the edge, out of her reach. Another growl, longer and louder this time, was heard but he ignored her by standing and finding his way to her bathroom. Flipping on the light, he proceeded to start the shower, setting the temperature until it suited him before returning to Sakura's bed.

She had sat up, her head in her hands, unkempt hair falling around her face, blocking her expression from him. From the various growls and groans coming her way, though, he could tell she was quite unhappy with him. Sighing, he picked his way across the minefield of sake bottles on the floor until he once again stood next to her bed, hands on his hips impatiently.

"C'mon, time to come back to reality," he murmured, reaching out to help her up. Her hand blurred as it smacked his away forcefully; he winced, jerking back and cradling the bruised limb. Sakura let her own hand drop before growling at him, "Go away. I don't need you here."

"Looks like the opposite, if you ask me." He replied, thinking he was seriously insane to be reaching out to her again. This time he managed to grab hold of her wrist and tug gently, though she refused to move. Huffing with impatience, Naruto tugged again more forcefully before Sakura yanked away, batting at his hand again. He jerked back in time to avoid having his hand abused yet again, replacing both on his hips as he glared at his teammate.

"I _didn't_ ask you," she murmured, finally looking up at him. Naruto sucked in a breath; her usually bright eyes were dull, almost unseeing. His heart clenched; he hated seeing that look in her eyes, the look of loss and hopelessness. Biting the inside of his lip, he reached out once more and grabbed both of her wrists, hauling her up until she was on her knees, her eyes level with his chin. He ducked his head so that their eyes could meet evenly and stared hard into her dull jade orbs, waiting until she finally met his gaze.

"Whether you want me to be or not, I'm here. Get up. You need to pull yourself together. The hospital needs you." He told her, tone hard and broking no argument. Sakura's eyes narrowed, anger and grief flashing at his tenor and words; however, it was better than the dull nothingness than before, Naruto thought. They stared each other down a few more moments before Sakura bit out, "Let go of me. I can do it on my own."

Naruto grunted but waited until she planted her feet on the floor before he released her fully. She sneered at him and started forward a few steps before stopping, hunching at the waist and groaning. Naruto was by her side in an instant, asking what was wrong.

"Too...much...sake..." she gasped, her features paling even more, sweat beading on her forehead. Her cheeks puffed out as she gagged, trying to quickly swallow the bile that threatened to make itself a new decorative part of her floor. Naruto wrapped his arms around her, helped her straighten as much as possible and rushed her to the restroom only seconds before she dropped to the tiles, spilling the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

Naruto held her hair back from her face in silence, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she continued to dispose the alcohol from her system. When her retching finally subsided, she slumped against him, drained of strength. He grabbed a washcloth from the edge of the bathtub, allowed it to get wet from the shower spray before wiping her face and neck gently. She lay against him as he did so, eyes closed and body limp from exhaustion. When he was done Naruto tossed the washcloth into the sink and stood, pulling Sakura up with him.

"Do you think you can shower?" he asked quietly, arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close to support her. At her nod, he helped her support herself against the sink before slipping out of the bathroom to wait until she was done, closing the door behind him.

Finally finding the light-switch, he proceeded to occupy time by gathering and disposing of the many sake bottles littering her room, as well as making the bed and setting out a clean shirt and pajama pants for her, flushing at the thought of trying to locate a pair of panties...

Shaking the thought from his head, he left the bedroom to find the kitchen; it took a few moments to locate the switch for the light, but once he did he set about finding some food that wouldn't further upset Sakura's already sensitive stomach. Slightly out of date crackers and barely a glass of ginger ale completed that task; he set the items on the small table, running a hand through his hair as he wondered what to do next.

_'She'll probably have a killer headache after all that sake,'_ he thought, already beginning to rummage through her cabinets for the appropriate medication. He had just found the pill bottle when there was a dull _thump_ from the bathroom. Setting the bottle on the table next to the ale, he hurried back into Sakura's bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" he called, concern evident in his voice. When the kunoichi didn't respond he debated with himself on the safety of entering the bathroom while she was still in there. A few seconds later he cautiously entered the steamy bathroom, focusing his eyes on his feet as he inquired, "Sakura-chan?"

Quiet sobs reached his ears and he momentarily forgot to be respectful, hurrying to the shower stall; he stopped just short of yanking back the shower curtain, remembering himself just in time. He sat on the toilet instead, sighing, and said quietly, "Let's talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about!" she cried, sniffling. By the shadow behind the shower curtain he could tell she sat in the tub, knees drawn to her chest. Her head tilted towards him and he listened to her sniffle some more before prying again, "Sakura-chan...you've got to get this off your chest. C'mon, you know you can talk to me about it."

A few more moments he endured his own kind of agony as he listened to her sob before finally she murmured brokenly, "A squad of Genin were emitted to the hospital after a rockslide injured them during the Chunin Exams' second part in the Forrest of Death; it put two in critical condition. A Chunin who was routinely scouting the area heard the less injured crying out for help and found them before hurrying to bring them in for treatment." Her voice had taken on an empty tone, as though she were reciting a well-memorized speech. Naruto kept quiet, listening intently as she continued, "I was able to save one of the critically injured, but the other...she was just..." Sakura burst into a new fit of sobs, the sound sending chills down Naruto's spine. He waited for her new bought of sobs to lessen before he decided to speak.

"I'm sure you did all you could, Sakura-chan. It would be impossible for you to be able to save everyone who came into your care," he murmured, knowing it wasn't the most comforting thing to say, but the truth nonetheless. Sakura sniffled from behind the curtain, but her sobs had stopped.

"I know...but Naruto..." she paused as if her next words were too difficult to utter. A shaky breath later, Naruto's heart just about stopped as heard her say, "It was Moegi...from Konohamaru's squad."

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Yeah...uhm...maybe I should mention a few things about me, if you're a new reader.

**1.)** I kill off characters. Frequently. ^^;;  
**2.)** I think that this fic is going to be on the...darker side than what was originally planned. That said, Naruto won't always be the goofball and Sakura will have issues of her own. I feel like it makes them more relatable/real.  
**3.)** I realized-belatedly-that I mentioned Sakura's diamond seal in the first chapter . That was an accident; when I first started writing this, it wasn't intended as a story, and I typically write these two in a future setting, after Sakura's seal is basically common knowledge. I've fixed it now, so please think of them as being set in a time period _before_ Chapter 493 (that's the chapter we discover Dark Naruto). I'm not even sure when exactly I've set this ^^;; Before Pein's attack, for certain, though. Maybe a point in time relatively close to Sai's addition to their team? I don't know. It's some AU-ish thing! Roll with it! :D

Anyway, thanks for reading; R&R is always loved and appreciated! :D

~Miah-Chan


	3. Chapter 3

New chappie! Big thanks to all of you who have followed/reviewed! It's extremely appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** I do _not_ own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)

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**Chapter Three**

"Thanks for walking me to work, Naruto." Sakura gave her friend a brave smile, something she was beginning to do more often since the previous month of Moegi's death. After the initial shock and grief experienced at the news of the sweet little girl's passing, Naruto had continued to comfort Sakura that night, making sure she was taken care of and had promised to return to work the following day before he had gone home. It had been just over a month since the incident and Sakura seemed to be faring well enough; she was working her usual shifts and had begun to train again on a regular basis. Naruto had taken up walking her to work in the mornings, at first to ensure she actually went before it simply became an enjoyable habit.

"No problem," he answered, glancing at the Hokage Tower. Sakura's gaze followed his and she inquired, "Got a new mission coming up?" Naruto shrugged, his thoughts obviously elsewhere. Sakura smiled to herself before she touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"I'm heading in now. See you later."

Naruto smiled for her as she turned and entered the hospital to begin her day. He turned towards the Hokage Tower, walking along the crowded streets deep in thought.

As terrible as the situation was with Moegi's death, he had found himself growing closer to Sakura because of it. She had vented to him that night, telling him all of her anger, guilt and grief over not being able to save Moegi; he had listened patiently, knowing his own grieving would have to come after he left her. It was the first time she had seemed to trust him so completely with her thoughts and feelings, trusting him to be there with a comforting shoulder and patient ear. It made him happy to see her finally starting to talk to him honestly.

_'I'm hopeless,'_ he thought with a sigh, frowning at his feet. He couldn't help that he was in love with Sakura; he had been since their days at the Academy. Her newfound comfort and trust in him only caused his feelings to intensify while hope swelled in his heart. But he knew the truth, the ever constant truth.

She still loved Sasuke.

His frown deepened, crinkling his brow under his forehead protector. Jealously had long since diminished from his feelings toward the subject of Sakura's affections; now, only confusion came to the forefront of his mind when he happened to think too deeply about it. He just didn't understand what drew her to Sasuke so passionately; sure, the guy was good looking and girls tended to dig the mysterious-bad-boy-with-a-haunted-past thing, but besides that, what was so special?

Naruto blew out his breath in a huff, causing the bangs over his forehead to flutter. He just needed a nice, solitary, thought-consuming mission to distance himself from the useless hope that swelled whenever he was around the pink-haired kunoichi too long. His feelings had deepened over the years, especially recently as he witnessed the various strengths Sakura possessed, the proof of how much she had grown; it made him want her all the more. That want, the undeniable yet still suppressed yearning for her, had been making it increasingly more difficult to deal with while hanging out with her. It had been building for months, yet since that night Tsunade had sent him to Sakura's apartment to help her it had become nearly all-consuming. It was difficult to repress the urges to finally, _finally_, just make a move and do something about it, so much so that walking with her, training with her, talking with her were almost physically painful.

_'I just need a mission to get some distance and regroup,'_ he decided with a firm nod to himself. Finding himself having arrived at the Hokage Tower, he quickly ascended the stairs and made his way to Tsunade's office, walking in without bothering to knock as per usual.

"What's up, Granny?" he greeted her with a grin, which widened when she growled "brat!" in response. He plopped in a chair in front of her desk, stretching his legs out and resting his hands behind his head, the epitome of relaxedness. His eyes twinkled with mischief and he demanded, "Oi, so when's my next mission? Give me a hard one! I need some adventure."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him, putting down her pen to steeple her fingers in front of her mouth while she studied him, making him wait for her to answer; it didn't take long before he began to fidget impatiently, anxious to receive a new mission.

"Granny!" he whined, pouting at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. She grinned behind her fingers, but relented and said, "Well, it just so happens I _did_ receive an interesting request recently. Might not be your cup of tea, though."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly in interest, as she knew would happen simply because she had suggested he likely wouldn't enjoy it. He sat forward, waving a hand at her in denial, saying earnestly, "As long as it's not a C or D-rank, I'm game!" Tsunade snorted, only adding to fuel his determination to go. He couldn't have Tsunade-baa-chan underestimating him!

"C'mon, Granny, cough it up! Let me hear the details of this mission!" he insisted.

Pausing heavily, just to irritate him, Tsunade waited until he looked ready to burst before continuing, "It's a request from the Grass Country. It appears that their neighbors, the Rain Country, have been slowly moving in on the Grass's lands, crossing the border and gaining political control over many of the larger villages to benefit the Rain Country financially. This has sent the majority of the Grass Country residents into a bit of a financial hole, especially some of their smaller villages. One village in particular is about to hit bankruptcy, and due to the Rain's hold over most of the Grass's purse-strings, they're unable to receive the proper finances needed to pick themselves up. To make matters worse, much of the village is very sickly and, again, due to lack of finance, they are unable to afford a suitable doctor. With half of the village down for the count, it's been difficult for them to get to their feet again; those of the Rain controlling the money have agreed to give them a suitable amount to keep the village from collapsing, but they're still in dire need of outside assistance."

Naruto's excitement had seemed to dwindle a bit at the less than adventurous mission, though he did still look willing to help those in need, regardless. Tsunade smiled to herself; that was one of the things she admired greatly about the boy: his desire to help those unable to help themselves.

"Typically I wouldn't do this," she mused, tapping a pen against her lips thoughtfully. "Kakashi is busy with his own assignment and you've yet to gain a new teammate. But they need assistance and you're available…so I guess there's not much decision. Besides, it's not a hostile situation, and the remaining of Squad 7 are more than capable; with Sakura taking on the role of Captain due to her Chunin rank, the two of you are officially assigned this mission. Her medical skills will be needed excessively. Depending on how much needs to be done to get the village back on its feet, as well as how long it takes for those who are sickly to heal, this will be a long-term mission. I won't expect you back for a several months unless you're desperately needed. The two of you can leave tomorrow morning, since Sakura's shift at the hospital won't end until mid-evening. Oh, and pack warmly; I hear autumn is hitting the Grass Country a bit early." Finished with her orders, Tsunade dismissed Naruto and began working once more on the paperwork covering her desk.

Naruto left the office in a daze, making his way back to his apartment to begin packing the essentials that would be needed during the mission. Once done, he set about making sure his apartment would be secure while he was gone and then cleaning out any food or drink that might spoil during his absence. Finally complete with all such tasks, he made his way towards the hospital; it was close to time for Sakura's shift to end. Of course, she'd likely go straight to her office to work on that never-ending pile of paperwork.

_'Incredible. I go to Granny Tsunade in hopes for a mission to get some space and leave with a long-term one with the exact person I need space from! What the hell am I going to do now?'_ he thought darkly, a frown marring his lips as he walked into the hospital lobby. The secretary greeted him warmly, which he absentmindedly returned, asking for Sakura's whereabouts. Sure enough, the little brunette pointed to the hall that led to her office and Naruto thanked her before moving away.

He knocked on the door, entering before Sakura could answer. She lifted her gaze from a pile of papers, locking jade to cobalt. For a moment, neither looked away or said anything, too focused on each other to interrupt the other's thoughts. Finally, Naruto lifted a hand in greeting and smiled, saying, "Hey. Got some news." Sakura lifted her brow, something he had noticed she did often when she felt it unnecessary to ask or say the obvious.

"Granny Tsunade is sending us on a long-term mission together to Grass Country." He proceeded to explain the situation, reminding her to pack warmly before suggesting they meet at eight A.M. sharp to head out. The trip to the Grass Country would take a good number of days itself. Once he had finished, Sakura gave him a smile and agreed to meet him at the gates the next morning at the agreed time. Nodding in satisfaction, he bid her a good night and turned to walk out the door. Pausing, hand on the knob, he turned to look back at her.

"Want me to walk you home?" he asked, startling her again from her paperwork which she had just refocused on. Sakura smiled again and shook her head.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. I just want to finish this up and then I'll head out." At Naruto's skeptical look, she huffed and said with a touch of irritability, "I'm a big girl, you know." That caused Naruto to grin and chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, but I'm telling your secretary that if you're still here in an hour to get in touch with me; then I'll drag you back to your apartment." Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again before exiting the office to head home himself.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!  
I'm really horrible with anything mildly 'political', so I hope the big ramble of why they have to go to Grass Country makes some semblance of sense. XD  
Apologies to those who might have liked to have seen Naruto's reaction to Moegi's death; the first few chapters were moved along relatively fast to get to the main plot quicker.

Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are deeply appreciated! ^^  
~Miah-Chan


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do _not_ own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"Are you sure you don't want to start setting up camp?"

"If you ask me that one more time, so help me God..."

Naruto laughed nervously and lifted both hands in the universal 'I'm harmless' motion, side-stepping a few more feet away from Sakura and her stormy expression. She knew he only asked because she'd been unable to stifle the past couple of yawns, but damn, she wasn't a new Genin on her first mission! She knew her limitations and, damn it, she wasn't at them yet.

"It's just that you seem tired," Naruto began, glancing at her with concern. "I bet you didn't get to bed early enough last night." This time he looked at her pointedly and she sniffed, pointing her nose in the air and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't think it's any of your business," she replied snootily, though she snuck a glance at him from the corner of her eye. His expression darkened almost unperceptively before his lips turned upward into a smirk. Sakura frowned to herself; why had his initial reaction been something akin to anger? She wasn't his responsibility, after all; she could make the decision to work late before having to get up early for a mission...it may have been a stupid decision, but it was still hers to make!

"You may be right," Naruto agreed, nodding his head in her direction. "But, as Captain of our team, it's your responsibility to make sure you're in top shape before the mission starts. I can't have my only teammate and medic slipping up on the job because she failed to follow protocol and get adequate rest before our mission's start." He looked at her meaningfully and she growled halfheartedly, assuming he was joking. A good look in his eyes told her immediately he was not. She quirked a brow; since when had Naruto become so...responsible?

At her lack of immediate response, Naruto shrugged and continued, "Once we find a good clearing, we'll set up." It wasn't a request. This time Sakura did growl, and loudly. Naruto blatantly ignored her and walked ahead, leading the way.

_'Damn it. I hate to admit it, but he's right; I'm shirking my Captain duties by starting on a mission improperly prepared. Still…he's not usually so irritable.'_ She thought dejectedly, frowning at the blonde's black and orange clad back. It was unlike her friend to treat her so coolly; the Naruto that she was used to would have been ecstatic to be on a long-term mission for just the two of them. He'd have teased her that it was Tsunade-sama's way of forcing them into a date or something similar. Instead, he was distant and quiet save for a few glimpses of his usual personality.

_'Maybe he's angry with you for what happened to Moegi...'_ the thought flitted through her mind before she even knew where her thoughts had led. She grimaced. She wouldn't be surprised; he had become very close to Konohamaru's squad over the years and she was supposed to be one of Konoha's best medic nins. He'd probably held her in high esteem and now she'd let him down by allowing one of his friends' teammates die...

Konohamaru himself wasn't speaking to her; she didn't think it was out of hostility but more the rawness of the grief still gripping his heart. It had only been a month, after all; not long in the scheme of things. She didn't blame him if he was unable to forgive her; she doubted she'd ever forgive herself. What good was she if she couldn't even save—?

"Sakura," Naruto's voice cut sharply through the darkness of her thoughts. Sakura's gaze shot up to meet his blue eyes, so distant and closed off. He raised a blonde brow at her and repeated, "Here looks good to me. What do you think?"

So now she had a say in the matter? Sakura kept her smirk to herself; at least he wasn't completely angry with her as to disregard her opinion. She gazed around the clearing and nodded in agreement before they began to set up camp in silence.

Once the tent was up and the campfire lit, both made themselves comfortable, Naruto lying on his back, stargazing, while Sakura stared into the flames as though they held the secret to life. They were quiet until Naruto finally murmured, "You hungry?"

"I guess," was Sakura's reply, her eyes still focused on the flames licking the air. She heard Naruto shift and rummage through one of his packs before reflexively catching the item he tossed at her. Breaking her gaze from the fire, she looked down to find a MRE. Her nose scrunched up in distaste and she looked to Naruto questioningly. She found him grinning at her, munching on an apple.

"I'd rather cook from scratch," Sakura told him dryly, throwing the MRE at him and clonking him on the head with it. He laughed, seemingly back to himself, and replaced the item into the bottom of his pack. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she grinned, finally relaxing.

"I wouldn't complain if some fish were to magically appear..." he trailed off suggestively, finishing off his apple and tossing the core over his shoulder. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him playfully and replied, "And I suppose you also wouldn't mind if I were the one to help that wish come true?" At his unabashed grin she shook her head, hiding her own smile, and stood, dusting off the seat of her pants.

"Oh, alright, but only because I'm hungry and fish sounds really good right now," she agreed, stalking off towards the creek they had come upon earlier to wash off and spear some dinner.

Naruto watched her retreating back and breathed out a sigh of relief. He knew she'd noticed he'd been acting strangely around her; he hadn't meant to, but the sheer proximity was killing him. He didn't know how he was going to get any rest tonight having to sleep in the same tent as her. He was tempted to simply sleep outside but, for one, the temperature was rapidly dropping since autumn had decided to arrive a bit earlier this year, and secondly…he was kind of secretly excited about the prospect of sleeping so near his life-long crush. It was a constant tug-of-war to keep his composure even remotely respectable; if he had to be somewhat distant for that to happen, so be it. He'd made a fool of himself over his infatuation with her enough times to last the rest of his life; for once, he was trying to be respectful of her feelings, even if it cost him.

He gazed into the fire, wondering what it was she had been seeing as she'd done the same thing earlier.

XxXxXxX

_'More...you should have...done more...why didn't you do more? Why didn't you save her?! Why are you so worthless?! You can't do anything right...only get in everyone's way...  
Useless.  
Useless!'_

Sakura whimpered in her sleep, enfolding her body into a tight fetal position as her doubts and long-buried self-loathing attacked her through her dreams in the image of Naruto. A tear trailed down her cheek, unnoticed as it escaped and then was swept away by a gentle finger.

Naruto lay on his stomach, head resting on one of his arms as he slowly brought the other back towards his body after wiping away the salty droplet. He watched Sakura's features sadly, unsure of what he could do to ease her pain. It was tempting to wake her, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate knowing he was seeing her like this. He tucked his hand under his chin in an effort not to touch her again and settled for studying her instead.

She was huddled into herself, scrunching her body as tightly together as she could get it, muscles tense and defensive against the onslaught of her subconscious. Her hair was plastered against her neck and forehead with sweat despite the cold air surrounding them outside of their sleeping-bags. Her eyes were screwed shut tightly, her mouth set in a grim line that was sometimes broken only when she began to knead her bottom lip with her teeth in distress. Her fists clenched and unclenched at random, nails biting into the skin of her palms while her feet periodically kicked at the confines of her sleeping-bag as though she were trying to run from whatever nightmare plagued her.

Naruto closed his eyes against the scene, flipping over onto his back. He attempted to block out the sounds from his sleeping companion while images of her troubled face plagued his mind. He tossed and turned for a while, willing himself to sleep and escape the building need to pull her close to him and calm her; finally, after hours of restlessness, he opted for leaving the small confines of their tent to get some fresh air.

Stepping from the warmth of his sleeping-bag and into the frigid night air sent chills racing over every inch of exposed skin, but he ignored the minor discomfort by pacing around their camp, his mind unforgiving in its effort to tempt him into racing back to Sakura to sooth and comfort her however he could.

Cursing under his breath, he finally paused near the remaining embers of their campfire to stare up into the night sky, seeking comfort and resolve in the stars.

'_This is going to be a long mission,_' he thought with a frown, scrubbing a hand over his face before running it through his already messy hair. His cerulean eyes studied the stars, finding little comfort in their twinkling forms as he wondered how he was going to effectively complete the mission when his emotions were so out of control. Normally he could hide these things behind a grin and a laugh, but not this time; Sakura knew him too well and, well, she was the source of his issues. Even if she asked what his problem was, he couldn't answer honestly.

"Fuck!" he snarled, turning away from the stars and pacing around the campfire embers. Little sounds of frustration found their way from his throat without his notice, imitating growls; he paced like a caged beast, a feeling completely at odds with the spacious forest around him.

He didn't know how long he had been outside of the tent before his antics must have roused his teammate, but suddenly a quiet voice called, "Naruto?"

He stopped his pacing and glanced over his shoulder towards the tent and the object of his frustrations. His expression softened as he took in Sakura's disheveled appearance; her bedhead, fuzzy and tickling her cheeks, her sleepy eyes that still hadn't quite managed to take in the extent of the scene before her, her slightly glossy skin from the nightmare-induced sweat cooling in the frosty air. Her green eyes met his questioningly and he nearly groaned with the emotions coursing through him at that utterly vulnerable look.

"Are you okay?" she trailed off and Naruto answered with the first thing that came to mind.

"Just needed to use the bathroom," he replied to her question and grinned slightly as she wrinkled her nose in feminine distaste. But, as he had intended, it threw her off enough to rid her eyes of the vulnerability that was so disarming to him and she snorted slightly.

"Well, if you're done, come back to bed before you catch a cold," she said simply, disappearing again behind the tent flap. Naruto groaned quietly at her choice of words; _come back to bed..._yeah, if only he could do that the way he wanted to—snuggled up next to her. But he obeyed, returning to his sleeping-bag quietly. Sakura was in hers again, facing away from him, though by her breathing he could tell she wasn't asleep yet.

"Good night, Sakura-chan." He said quietly, shifting to get comfortable. Sakura was silent a moment longer before replying, "Good night, Naruto."

* * *

**Quick notes:**  
1.) I didn't forget the "-chan" when Naruto addressed Sakura about setting up camp in the clearing. You'll find that I have him drop the suffix from her name at times when he's being entirely serious or needs to get her attention.  
2.) MRE = Meal, Ready-to-Eat.

Hope you enjoyed! Apologies if this fic seems to be dragging on...I'll try to get them into some form of action soon! Until then, thanks for reading! **R&R **is _always_ appreciated and loved! ^^

~Miah-Chan


	5. Chapter 5

Whoops, sorry it's been a little while since the last UD guys. ^^; However, I did mention I wasn't certain about how often I'd update on this. College tends to be a big factor when it comes to fanfction for me.

**Disclaimer:** I do _not_ own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Wow, this place is a dump."

"Naruto!"

"What?! It is!"

Sakura shook her head as they took in the surroundings that would soon become their temporary home. While his observation may have been rudely put, it was true; the village was in extremely poor condition. The buildings were dilapidated, paint grey and peeling while the wood was warped and sunken in on itself, giving the appearance of unsteady structures about to fall in on themselves; any people wandering about seemed just as grey and unsteady as their village. The entire atmosphere was one of disillusionment and despair.

"I guess we should find Noboru-san and plan out our next steps as to what we need to do," Sakura murmured as they began walking together through the village. The villagers periodically glanced at them in confusion, non-interest, or hate; many were not fond of having outsiders, regardless of their purpose.

After a not-so-pleasant walk through the village, the two finally found the man they were looking for in the small building that Sakura assumed was supposed to pass for a hospital. Noboru Satoshi was the village's leader, a man in his late fifties with salt-and-pepper hair and a matching goatee who stood at an intimidating six-foot despite his age. However, in spite of his daunting appearance, Satoshi was generally good-natured and pleasant; he gave his two visitors a quick rundown of the village's needs, giving Sakura a tour of their hospital while promising to personally escort her to the many home-visits that would be needed while explaining to Naruto who to see in reference with helping to rebuild their crumbling village.

"Well, hopefully that's not too much to process at once," he grinned at them when they had finally finished their tours and talks. Sakura smiled at him and shook her head, replying, "Of course not, we're happy to help. When should we get started?" Satoshi laughed, a booming sound that drew attention and smiles from those around him.

"All in due time," he told her, brown eyes twinkling. "I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. I've arranged for you to stay with my good friend Kiyoshi Amaya; she's a widow and her children have long since been lost to war. She's more than happy to help you with anything you need and provide you with comfortable lodging. I'll escort you there."

A short walk later they were left with a woman similar to Satoshi in age with white-streaked auburn hair and playful, loving emerald eyes. She greeted them with enthusiasm and ushered them into her modest home, giving them a quick tour and showing them their room.

"I'm sorry I can't supply you with individual rooms," she said remorsefully, wringing her hands. "But as you can see, my home isn't very large; just room enough for a single old lady." Naruto tossed a grin over his shoulder at her and waved away her worry.

"No problem! Sakura-chan and I have had to deal with worse, trust me; this is great!" he walked over to the bed and tossed his packs onto it while Sakura gave the woman her own smile.

"We're very grateful for your hospitality, Kiyoshi-san." She told the woman, whose eyes sparkled with joy at having guests to care for after having been alone for so long.

"Amaya, please," the woman replied, giving Sakura a grin that could even have challenged Naruto's. Sakura acquiesced and murmured, "Arigato, Amaya-san."

Amaya's grin widened and she hurried off in order to give her guests some privacy and space to settle. Sakura slid the door closed quietly and turned to find Naruto unpacking and setting up his sleeping-bag in a corner of the room farthest from the bed.

A delicate pink brow rose questioningly and Sakura asked, "What are you doing?"

"Setting up my bed...?" Naruto answered, glancing over his shoulder at her with a look that suggested he thought her eyesight was faulty. Sakura huffed as she tossed her bags onto the queen-sized bed and began to unpack her own supplies.

"I can see that, just as I can see that the bed is plenty big enough for two," she answered in a practical tone, ignoring the squawk that came from Naruto at her words. He floundered for a reply as she silently began to hang up her clothes in the closet before putting her toiletry items in the adjoining bathroom. When she returned to the bedroom, Naruto had finally gained his composure.

"We can't share a bed, Sakura-chan!" he cried, arms flailing as he knelt next to his sleeping-bag. Sakura raised a brow at him, eyes widening as she thought she heard a growl rumble from him at the action.

"Why not? We're adults, Naruto, jeez. There's no sense in you sleeping on the floor when there's a perfectly comfortable bed big enough for the both of us; it's not like I'm asking you to share the shower with me." She smirked as a blush bloomed over his face and then playfully bumped her fist over his head, saying, "Baka, get your mind out of the gutter."

"_Nani?!_ _You_ brought up showering together!" he cried, his blush deepening from tomato to scarlet. Sakura hid her grin; she was actually enjoying teasing him. It wasn't often she got the best of Uzumaki Naruto in the sexual innuendo's department.

"Well, it makes more sense to me for us both to share the bed instead of sleeping on the floor and potentially losing sleep due to discomfort. I mean, we always have to sleep in tents on the hard ground or rocks; let's take advantage of this opportunity." She glanced at his still-flushed face and shrugged. "Of course, if you want to be uncomfortable, feel free to sleep on the floor. It's just an offer."

With that said, she went back to unpacking, whistling softly all the while utterly unaware of how completely she had just upturned Naruto's world with just one recommendation.

XxXxXxX

'_Uncomfortable, she says. The sensible thing to do, she says. Plenty of room, she says._' Naruto thought a little hysterically as he lay in bed with the pink-haired kunoichi that night. They lay with their backs to one another but he could easily feel her body heat against his skin, feel every subtle shift the sheets made against him whenever she moved. He rarely slept in anything other than boxers or shorts, but he was thinking he might have to invest in a full-body suit if he wanted to survive this mission while sleeping in the same bed as Sakura. He worried his bottom lip almost abusively with his teeth, staring at the opposite wall blankly.

While he had understood the logic of what Sakura had been suggesting, he had assumed he might have adequate time to prepare himself, but no; they hadn't gotten to the village until mid-afternoon, and by the time all the briefing, tours, unpacking and dinner were done, night had well and truly fallen. Before he had even realized it, Sakura had stripped to her black sports bra and biker shorts and was comfortably in the bed, waiting expectantly for him to do the same so she could turn off the bedside lamp and go to sleep. He had joined her, having no other choice; he couldn't come up with any excuse to stay up later, because they'd already agreed that getting to bed earlier would help improve their work tomorrow, not to mention he was exhausted for various reasons, sleep deprivation being one of the minor ones.

'_I am not going to survive this mission,_' he fretted silently, worrying his bottom lip even more. He stiffened as Sakura shifted, turning over to face his back; a few moments of breath-holding and intensive listening had him breathing out a sigh of relief that she still seemed to be asleep. Until...

"Damn it, Naruto. Would you relax already? I'm not going to assassinate you in your sleep, you know," Sakura huffed quietly; he could imagine perfectly the frown she likely wore, one that pursed her lips and drew down her brows and made her look oh-so-kissable. He groaned inwardly, the thought only causing his tension to increase.

"What is your problem?!" Sakura growled, grabbing his shoulder and forcibly turning him onto his back so she could look into his eyes. He quickly adverted them and answered lamely, "Nothing, Sakura-chan, I'm just not used to sleeping in the same bed as someone else." Sakura's answering growl told him his lie hadn't gone over as smoothly as he might have liked.

"Stop bullshitting me, Naruto. You've been acting weird ever since Tsunade-shishou gave us this mission! Is it me? Did I do something to upset you?" Her angry tone lessened towards the end and she paused, as though realizing something, before murmuring, "That's it, isn't it? You're angry with me for what happened with Moegi."

"_What?!_" he gasped, his gaze swinging to meet hers in shock. Her jade orbs were glassy with unshed tears and she looked away, blinking them away rapidly. Forgetting his issues with being in such close proximity with her in the first place, Naruto flipped over onto his side so that they were chest to chest and grabbed her chin gently, upturning her face to his so that she could look in his eyes when he answered, "Hell no, Sakura-chan! That's not it at all! I know what happened with Moegi wasn't your fault; you did all you could and I will _never_ fault you for giving your best! Why in the world would you think I was angry with you for that?"

Sakura shrugged awkwardly, replying softly, "I mean, it wasn't such a farfetched assumption; you've been acting so distant from me and that's the only thing that's happened recently so I thought…I mean, you're so close with Konohamaru and his team, so..." She gazed into his eyes and he saw clearly how open those wounds still were. Cursing lowly, he pulled her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin as he pulled her close to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't want you to think I was upset with you for anything, especially not that. I'm not angry with you or anything...there's just a lot of shit going through my head right now that I'm trying to figure out and you've just been the nearest person to me lately...I don't mean to take it out on you." He sighed, his breath stirring tendrils of pink hair that immediately wisped upwards to caress his chin. They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts before Sakura sighed against his chest.

"What's been bothering you so much? If not what happened to Moegi, what could be...?" she trailed off, but he knew what she wanted to ask: _what could be so troubling that it's changing you from who I knew?_

"I...I can't really...explain," he told her, wincing at how obvious the lie seemed. Sakura stiffened slightly, recognizing the words for what they were, but she didn't pull away. She seemed to contemplate for a while before slowly releasing the tension from her shoulders.

"Okay. I won't push...this time. But seriously, you need to do something about it; go train your ass off or something and stop taking it out on me." Naruto felt her teasing smile, but her words only made him feel even guiltier; he _had_ been taking his issues out on her and she didn't deserve it. Sakura seemed to notice the tension that stiffened his muscles again and sighed. She shifted so that her head wasn't trapped and looked up, bumping her nose to the underside of his chin in a friendly, playful gesture.

"Relax," she murmured, bumping him again before settling her head back into its previous nook. "Get some rest. There's time tomorrow to sort it all out; right now, you need sleep or you'll be dead on your feet tomorrow." Naruto began to retort that he didn't think he could sleep right now, but she beat him to it.

"Shut up, close your eyes, and try to sleep before I medically sedate your stubborn ass," she growled, looking up to bump his chin one last time with her nose before pulling away, almost instinctively knowing he needed his space. She flipped over to give him her back, snuggling up to her pillow without a word while Naruto reeled from the tender gestures and sudden emptiness in his arms.

He lay there for a long while, staring up at the ceiling, contemplating their conversation and actions; Sakura had long since fallen asleep again, and this time when she flipped over to face him, he didn't flinch at the skin-to-skin contact that ensued when her hand draped over his chest. He smiled a bit, tracing the length of her forearm lazily with the tips of his fingers, knowing she wouldn't be aware of the action. As time passed his actions became increasingly slower, sluggish with fatigue, and his eyes eventually fluttered closed, sleep finally capturing his stubborn mind and providing him with much needed rest.

To his right, Sakura's lips tilted into a satisfied smirk.

* * *

_Noboru_ = virtuous  
_Satoshi_ = wise  
_Kiyoshi_ = quiet  
_Amaya_ = night rain

Apologies if the story-line seems to be moving along slowly. I still wasn't certain where I was going with this story at the point that this chapter was written. It'll start to speed up in time.  
I'll try to UD again soon. Thanks for reading! **R&R is loved!**

~Miah-Chan


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